Research Journal on Teacher Professional Development
Vol. 4 No. 02 (2026): Online First

Transforming Teacher Leadership in the Social Media Era: The Role of Digital Agency, Professional Identity, and Character Education in Islamic Primary Schools

Diah Rohmiana (Universitas Islam Negeri K.H. Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan)
Umi Mahmudah (Universitas Islam Negeri K.H. Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan)
Ahmad Ta'rifin (Universitas Islam Negeri K.H. Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan)



Article Info

Publish Date
28 Sep 2026

Abstract

The transformation of teacher leadership in the social media era has reconfigured the pedagogical and ethical authority of educators, but studies on these dynamics in Islamic elementary education are still limited. This study aims to analyze the transformation of teacher leadership, the role of digital agency and professional identity, and their contribution to character education in the social media ecosystem in Islamic elementary education. This study employs a library research method with a conceptual and content analysis approach. Data were collected from various primary and secondary sources, including peer-reviewed journals, academic books, and relevant educational reports, focusing on the intersection of digital agency, professional identity, and character education. The data were analyzed through thematic coding and conceptual synthesis to construct a new theoretical framework. The results of the study show: (1) teacher leadership transforms from classroom-based practices to networked and digitally mediated leadership, which operates beyond institutional boundaries through the social media ecosystem; (2) digital agency and professional identity form a reciprocal mechanism that gives birth to a new construct in the form of Digital Islamic Teacher Identity—a hybrid identity that integrates digital competence with the values ​​of murabbi and uswah hasanah; (3) Social media-mediated leadership contributes substantively to character education through digital role models as a hidden curriculum and Islamic-themed content curation, which strengthens students' moral resilience and digital citizenship. This study proposes an integrative conceptual model that offers a paradigm shift from technology adoption to value-framed technology integration in educational leadership. Policy and practical implications for the development of teachers' digital leadership are also discussed.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

rjtpd

Publisher

Subject

Education Social Sciences Other

Description

The Research Journal on Teacher Professional Development (RJTPD), ISSN 2988-0432 journal is a means to publish various research results in education and learning in the realm of early childhood education, basic education, secondary edu cation, and higher education. It is hoped that various research ...